The Dweebletter

Are you an UBERfan?
Science Fiction, Fantasy, General Entertainment news, the biz of DA BIZ?
StarWars/HarryPotter/LordoftheRings/Farscape....etc,etc,etc.
We comb the web and try to stay on top of breaking entertainment news.
And the snarky commentary is free-of-charge.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Netlets: Fox and CW present their wares

Editor's Note: I hope no one minds if I skip the programming info for MY, Univision, and Telemundo?We could almost skip some of FOX, for that matter.....

Fox Unveils 10 New Series; Changes Six NightsFox has announced an ambitious new prime-time schedule broken out in three parts: fall 2007, January 2008 and spring 2008.

Keep in mind, of course, that the latter two schedules are subject to change pending the outcome in fourth quarter. Editor's Note: Let's face it....it's ALL subject to change. And FOX is the most A.D.D. of them all when it comes to fickle-finger-of-fate programming decisions, yes?(And all of these delicate machinations fold like a house of cards the minute something doesn't deliver and they have to restart a show earlier to cover the laggards).

Fox will introduce six new series this fall (two dramas, one sitcom and three non-scripted series, including a docu-soap called Nashville), with changes on six of the seven nights. Only Saturday will remain consistent with perennial occupants Cops and America’s Most Wanted. Editor's Note: It doesn't COUNT if you don't change Saturday, if you didn't really program it to BEGIN with.

Included this fall are the return of Prison BreakEditor's Note: yay!!!and three shows -- ‘Til Death, Bones Editor's Note: Yay, encore!and King of the Hill -- moving to new time periods.

January 2008 on Fox will feature the return of American Idol and 24, two new dramas (Canterbury’s Law and The Sarah Connor Chronicles), and new time periods for fall-introduced dramas K-Ville and New Amsterdam, plus Bones, King of the Hill and Family Guy.

Effective in the spring will be the return of Prison Break, a new Wednesday 8:30 p.m. comedy called The Return of Jezebel James, and ‘Til Death in a new time period -- Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. A third new comedy, The Rules for Starting Over, is slated in an undetermined time period in midseason.

In total, that makes 10 new series on the map for Fox in 2007-08: four dramas, three sitcoms and three non-scripted series.

Here is Fox’s new prime-time schedule broken out by fall 2007, January 2008 and spring 2008. New shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Editor's Note: All times EST.

FALL 2007

Monday 8:00 p.m. Prison Break9:00 p.m. K-VILLE

Tuesday 8:00 p.m. NEW AMSTERDAM9:00 p.m. House

Wednesday8:00 p.m. BACK TO YOU8:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (new time)9:00 p.m. Bones (new time)Editor's Note: Oh. Good. Now they can be gorier?

Thursday 8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?9:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

Friday 8:00 p.m. THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND9:00 p.m. NASHVILLE

Saturday Editor's Note: Or as I like to call it "Shutinrepublicantheater."8:00 p.m. Cops9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday7:00 p.m. The OT (NFL post-game)8:00 p.m. The Simpsons8:30 p.m. King of the Hill (new time)9:00 p.m. Family Guy9:30 p.m. American Dad

Thursday 8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?9:00 p.m. CANTERBURY’S LAW

Friday 8:00 p.m. Bones (new day and time) Editor's Note: so every quarter they shuffle the shows to see if we're paying attention. (Only really ATTENTIVE people can watch FOX!) Or maybe it's a plot to boost subscriptions to TVGuide?9:00 p.m. New Amsterdam (new day and time)

Wednesday8:00 p.m. Back to You8:30 p.m. THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES9:00 p.m. American Idol9:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (new time)

Thursday8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?9:00 p.m. Canterbury’s Law

Friday8:00 p.m. Bones9:00 p.m. New Amsterdam

Saturday 8:00 p.m. Cops9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday 7:00 p.m. King of the Hill7:30 p.m. American Dad8:00 p.m. The Simpsons8:30 p.m. Family Guy9:00 p.m. The Sarah Connor Chronicles

New Show Descriptions:

Dramas K-VILLESet in crime-infested New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina, two determined police officers (Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser) do anything it takes to try to keep order. Editor's Note: Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser....not exactly people that make you WANT to watch a show. In fact, perhaps the opposite?

NEW AMSTERDAMA typical looking New York homicide detective named John Amsterdam (Nikolai Coster-Waldau) has one huge advantage: he is immortal. Back in 1642, Amsterdam was a Dutch soldier in the colony of New Amsterdam who was given immorality by a native Indian girl and was told he would not age until he finds true love. Unfortunately, everyone Amsterdam has met eventually leaves him while he remains young. Editor's Note: Depending on how he feels about living forever, he has a perfect excuse to be committment phobic, huh?

CANTERBURY’S LAW (January 2008)In this new legal drama from Denis Leary and Jim Serpico (Rescue Me), a rebellious female defense attorney puts her career on the line to take on risky and unpopular cases. Linus Roache, Chester Fields and Molly McConnell co-star.

SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (January 2008)Based on the heroine from The Terminator theatrical franchise, Sarah (Lena Headey) and her teenage son John (Thomas Dekker) are now fugitives from the law. Alone in a very dangerous, complicated world, the two together must face more enemies from both the present and the future. Their one ally is Cameron (Summer Glau), a student at John’s school. Editor's Note: Ok...Summer Glau. I'll watch.

Comedies

BACK TO YOUMulti Emmy Award winners Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) head back to the world of small screen sitcoms in this tale of two squabbling on-air news anchors Editor's Note: So the dramas are targeted to 20somethings and the comedies are targeted to the AARP? Interesting strategy....

THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (Spring 2008)A successful woman (Parker Posey) who seems to have it all lacks one instrumental thing: a baby. But when she finds out she cannot conceive, she proposes a plan for her quirky younger sister (Lauren Ambrose of Six Feet Under) to carry the child.

THE RULES FOR STARTING OVER (Midseason)A group of newly single friends (Craig Bierko, Johnny Sneed and Shaun Majumder) must start over in their 30s in their quest to find true love. Editor's Note: zzzzzzzzzzz. And since when is Bierko in his 30's?

Non-ScriptedKITCHEN NIGHTMARESAngry Chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell’s Kitchen fame hits the road, tackling a restaurant in crisis each week and exposing the often stressful realities of trying to run a successful food business.

NASHVILLE Set in “the biggest small town in America,” this docu-soap from the creative minds Editor's Note: ????!!!! behind Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County will focus on the dreamers and dream-makers in the music industry.

THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BANDFrom the producers of American Idol, this new reality/competition will scour the country, seeking groups from all musical genres who think they have what it takes to make it big. The final three acts will compete for a major recording contract and the chance to become music superstars.

The CW Changes Four Nights; Adds Gossip Girl, ReaperThe CW will head into its sophomore season on an aggressive note, with six new prime-time series (three dramas, one sitcom and two non-scripted half-hours) impacting four nights of the week.

The highest profile of the freshman mix, drama Gossip Girl, will air in the network’s protected Wednesday 9 p.m. time period out of America’s Next Top Model.

Former midseason entry Beauty and the Geek has been promoted to the fall and designated as the Tuesday anchor into Buffy, the Vampire-like new drama Reaper.

Monday will feature long-awaited sitcom Aliens in America at 8:30 p.m. out of Everybody Hates Chris and into Girlfriends and surprise returnee The Game.

And Sunday will be completely revamped from 7-9 p.m., with the non-scripted Online Nation and CW Now in the 7 p.m. hour, followed by new drama Life is Wild.

Thursday and Friday will remain unchanged, while encore telecasts of America’s Next Top Model will remain Sunday at 9 p.m.

The CW has also announced four series in midseason, including reality/competitions Farmer Wants a Wife and Crowned: The Mother of all Pageants, and the return of One Tree Hill and Pussycat Dolls Present.

Missing from the lineup (in addition to the already announced departures of 7th Heaven and Gilmore Girls) are three-year-old sitcom All of Us and the critically acclaimed, but ratings-starved Veronica Mars.Editor's Note: I am very sad. But given the rest of the CW line-up, VM doesn't really fit. (too classy, too smart). Sure wish there were another net or cable net to pick this up. I especially liked the rumor I heard that, if the show had been picked up, they were going to skip ahead 5 years and have Veronica set up in her own PI biz. Ah well.....no good show goes uncancelled.

Here is The CW’s fall 2007 prime-time schedule with new shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

New Program Descriptions DramasGOSSIP GIRLBased on the series of young adult novels of the same name, the lives of a privileged, but dysfunctional group of prep school teens on Manhattan’s Upper West Side is the focus. Being super-rich and super-popular are not necessarily synonymous with finding true happiness. Editor's Note: Subtitle? Life's a Bitch, and no one cares? The cast includes Penn Badgley, Chace Crawfrod, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Taylor Momsen, Matthew Settle and former Melrose Place star Kelly RutherfordEditor's Note: Kelly Rutherford is someone's MOM, no doubt? A guidance counselor. Poor dear..

LIFE IS WILDA blended family living in New York City relocate to spend a year at a broken-down lodge in a game reserve deep inside South Africa. Outsiders at first, the family begins to appreciate the breathtaking scenery, the enchanting locals, and the vibrant culture surrounding them. Brett Cullen (Friday Night Lights) leads the ensemble cast.Editor's Note: Sounds interesting. Like one of those cable shows for tweens you stumble across on Saturday mornings.

REAPER When a 21-year-old slacker (Bret Harrison) learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born, he must now serve as a bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. With his friends and trusty vessel-of-the-week at his side, Sam is ready to face his destiny as the Reaper.

Comedy

ALIENS IN AMERICAA sensitive, nerdy 16-year old (Justin Tolchuk) trying to make it through high school with the help of his well-meaning family finds his world turned upside down when a Pakistani exchange student of the same age (Adhir Kalyan) arrives. The cast includes Amy Pietz (Caroline in the City), Patrick Breen (Kevin Hill) and Lindsey Shaw as popular sister Claire.

Non-Scripted

CW NOWIn this adult 18-34-targeted newsmagazine, the focus is on the hottest fashions, the coolest music, the A-list movies, and the best in technology. Editor's Note: Phew! For a minute there I was worried they were going to try to give REAL news to 18-34 year olds. (Thank goodness THAT's not the case).

ONLINE NATIONScouring the endless number of websites, blogs and user-generated materials on the Internet, Online Nation will feature everything and anything that has captured the attention of the online world. Viewers, in addition, will be able to communicate with each other live on the air.

CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS (midseason)In this eight-episode competition judged by Carson Kressley (Queen Eye for the Straight Guy) and former Miss U.S.A. Shanna Moakler, teams of mothers and daughters are pitted against each other in a no-holds-barred beauty pageant. Editor's Note: Good. More witchy skinny people off the streets!

FARMER WANTS A WIFE (midseason)In this reality sounding hybrid of Green Acres and The Bachelor, a group of 10 women fed up with bad dates in the big city will compete for the hand of a charming, hard-working farmer.

Editor's Note: Kinda sounds like the CW got the pick of pilots no one else wanted? I think Telemundo even passed on a few of them. Yuck.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

CBS takes their turn

Editor's Note: Another Network stakes its claim for Fall. (And they cancelled "Jericho," so now I don't have to get caught up on THAT one, at least).CBS Changes Six Nights; Adds Five For FallCBS, the most-watched network, has designed a 2007-08 prime-time schedule emphasizing strength, consistency and new potential opportunities.

The Eye net will introduce five new fall series (dramas Cane, Moonlight and Viva Laughlin; sitcom The Big Bang Theory; and the non-scripted Kid Nation), with changes impacting six nights of the week.

Only perennial wasteland Saturday will remain unchanged, with two hours of drama series repeats (packaged as Crimetime Saturday) and 48 Hours Mystery.

Two returning CBS series will relocate to new time periods. Without a Trace will move back to its original Thursday 10 p.m. slot for season No. 6, while Shark will head to Sunday at 10 p.m. (out of Cold Case) for season two.

The network has also announced four midseason series, including 1976-based drama Swingtown, a new game show called Power of 10 hosted by Drew Carey, and new seasons of The Amazing Race and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Not returning are dramas Close to Home, The Class and Jericho.

Here is CBS’ fall 2007 primetime schedule with new shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Dramas CANE Former L.A. Law/NYPD Blue star Jimmy Smits Editor's Note: YUmmy. returns to the regularly scheduled series grind as the immigrant heir to a family fortune, who must battle to keep his place in the rum and sugar trading business in South Florida. The ensemble cast includes Nestor Carbonell, Sam Carmen, Hector Elizondo, Lina Esco, Eddie Matos, Rita Moreno, Alona Tal, Michael Trevino and Polly Walker. Editor's Note: SUPER cast. (Has that scent of over-wrought soap opera about it. But Wow....such a CAST!)

MOONLIGHT In this new twist on the traditional vampire type of storytelling, an “undead” private investigator named Mick (Alex O’Loughlin) uses his acute vampire senses Editor's Note: Are these anything like SPIDEY senses? (Trying to decide if I'd rather be bitten by a radioactive SPIDER, or gnawed on a by a vampire...tough one!) to help the living instead of feeding on them. With only a handful of undead confidantes for company, Mick fills his days by trying to protect the living. Moonlight is created by movie producer Joel Silver (The Matrix).

VIVA LAUGHLINIn this musical mystery/drama based on the BBC series Viva Blackpool, a man who opens a casino in the desert oasis of Laughlin, Nev., quickly realizes that life as a casino owner is no easy feat. The cast includes Madchen Amick, P.J. Byrne, Carter Jenkins, Lloyd Owen and Eric Winter. Hugh Jackman is an executive producer. Editor's Note: Don't tease us with Hugh, if you aren't going to SHOW us Hugh!

SWINGTOWN (midseason)After a new family moves into an affluent Chicago suburb it soon discovers that all is not quiet in suburbia with open marriages, wife swapping, couple swapping and wild parties. Shanna Collins, Jack Davenport, John Hopkins, Molly Parker, Eric Winter and D.B. Woodside star. Editor's Note: I have SEEN what lives in the suburbs. And I do NOT want to see them naked. (On the upside, if they are all swapping and partying with EACH other, we inner city sorts can feel safe?)

Comedy

THE BIG BANG THEORYTwo brainy best friends (Jim Parsons and Roseanne star Jonny Galecki) and the remaining members of their “geek squad” try to fit into the social world at the coaching of their sexy new neighbor (Kaley Cuoco of 8 Simple Rules fame). Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) is the creator. Editor's Note: The "cool" kids just HATE it when the dweebs have fun without them, don't they? This is SO a non-dweeb fantasy. (They really want to BE us, huh?!)

Non-Scripted

KID NATIONForty overachieving kids between the ages of 8 and 15 will have 40 days to build a new world without any parental supervision in a deserted town in Bonanza City, N.M. They will cook their own meals, run their own homes and businesses, and create a real government while coping with the everyday pressures of being a child.

POWER OF 10 (midseason)In this high-stakes new game show, contestants are challenged to guess the behaviors, opinions and lifestyle choices of the American public for a chance to win $10 million. Drew Carey is the host. Editor's Note: Gosh, don't we already know too MUCH about the 'mind'set of the American Public? (How they VOTE, for example?) Don't make me get into their heads any more than I already HAVE to.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

ABC Makes its Fall Pitch

Editor's Note: Another party heard from...ABC Changes Five Nights; Adds Cavemen, Private PracticeABC will introduce eight new series this fall, and 12 overall for the 2007-08 season.

In total, just 30 percent of ABC's fall lineup will be occupied with new or relocated programming, with changes impacting the Monday through Friday lineups.

There are five new fall dramas (Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Big Shots, Women's Murder Club and Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Private Practice), and three new fall sitcoms (Cavemen, based on the Geico Insurance commercials Editor's Note: And now, in a new feature, you can actually SMELL the dweeblog! , Carpoolers and Sam, I Am).

College Football on Saturday and the Sunday rotation of America's Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters will remain intact.

Wednesday's lineup will be completely revamped with new dramas Pushing Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money, while the returning Men in Trees will relocate to the Friday 8 p.m. anchor spot.

ABC has also announced an aggressive slate of new midseason entries including sitcom Miss/Guided; dramas Cashmere Mafia and Eli Stone; and the nonscripted Oprah’s Big Give.

Lost, Supernanny, Wife Swap, October Road and Notes From the Underbelly will also be back for new seasons.

Not returning are sitcoms According to Jim, George Lopez, In Case of Emergency, The Knights of Prosperity; and dramas Day Break, The Nine, Six Degrees, TravelerEditor's Note: They ran ONE episode of "Traveler." What is the point of producing the shows, if you're not even going to give them a fair run? (I mean, reruns and such do better ratings? I mean, you've already PAID for the production of episodes, so why not RUN them?!) and What About Brian.

Here is ABC’s fall 2007 prime-time schedule with new shows in caps, followed by the new program descriptions: Editor's Note: ALL times EST.

BIG SHOTSFour successful male friends at the top of their game support each other through life’s surprising twists and turns. The cast includes Michael Vartan (Alias), Dylan McDermott (The Practice), Christopher Titus (Titus) and Joshua Malina (The West Wing). Editor's Note: Well it's a PRETTY cast.....

DIRTY SEXY MONKEYEditor's Note: LOL!!! I think the actual title is "Diry Sexy MONEY", but the typo the magazine made is too funny not to include.A privileged Kennedy-like family, including a Presidential candidate, find themselves in constant hot water. But the one saving grace is a lawyer named Nick who takes on the daunting task of keep the family called Darling clean. The ensemble cast includes William Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, Glenn Fitzgerald, Seth Gabel, Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland and Natalie Zea. Editor's Note: Then again, MONKEY might be more appropriate. Unless VERY well-written, and timed JUST SO for the popular 'zeitgeist,' these family saga soaps have a really bad track record.

WOMEN’S MURDER CLUBBased on the best-selling novel from James Patterson, four working women in San Francisco--a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner and a reporter--use their talents and expertise to solve murder cases. Editor's Note: The books are sort of heavy-handed and over-wrought. But fun. Angie Harmon (Law & Order), Laura Harris, Elizabeth L. Ho and Paula Newsome star.

PUSHING DAISIESIn this blend of romance, procedural crime and fantasy from Barry Sonnenfeld, a young man has the ability to return someone dead briefly back to life with just a simple touch. So, to put his special ability to good use, he teams with a private investigator to crack murder cases by asking victims to name their killers. Editor's Note: Unless a lot of the briefly wokens LIE, it sounds like a 30-second show? The cast includes Kristin Chenoweth, Anna Friel, Swoosie Kurtz, Chi McBride, Lee Pace and Jim Dale. Editor's Note: GREAT cast. That's often a bad sign for the ratings...when all those REAL actors sign on.

THE CASHMERE MAFIA (midseason)Described as Sex and the City mixed with The Devil Wears Prada, Editor's Note: Yuck. So it's Lifetime for Sexaholics? four Manhattan women bonded by their Ivy League educations and executive success support each other through all personal and professional problems. The ensemble class includes Lucy Liu, Frances O’Connor, Mirando Otto, Bonnie Somerville, Peter Hermann and Julian Ovenden. Editor's Note: Great cast. But I want to watch ugly, unsuccessful people. All those really pretty, really RICH folks depress me. (Oh...really pretty, really rich people having SEX).

ELI STONE (midseason) A successful lawyer (Jonny Lee Miller) at a top San Francisco law firm seeks a deeper meaning in life as a prophet after discovering an aneurysm in his brain. The cast includes Loretta Devine, Natasha Henstridge and former Alias star Victor Garber. Editor's Note: A test pattern with Victor Garber? I am THERE!

Comedies CARPOOLERS Four guys from very different backgrounds commiserate about their lives, loves, jobs and families in the carpool lane. The cast includes Fred Goss, former Crossing Jordan star Jerry O’Connell Editor's Note: A lot of the "Crossing Jordan" folk already have other gigs; it sounds like they got a heads-up that CJ wasn't coming back?, Jerry Minor, Tim Peper, former Hope & Faith star Faith Ford and Allison Munn.

CAVEMENBased on the popular Geico Insurance commercials, three modern and very different cavemen (Bill English, Nick Kroll and Dash Mihok) struggle to find their place in the world. Editor's Note: Which my guess would be, in the cancellation file?

SAM, I AMFormer Married With Children star Christina Applegate is Sam, a woman who wakes up from a coma after eight days with no memory of the past. Forced to start over, Sam begins to realize she was not exactly the most honest or loving person. Kevin Dunn, Jennifer Esposito, Melissa McCarthy, Tim Russ and 24’s Jean Smart co-star.

MISS/GUIDED (midseason) After a new and improved woman (Judy Greer) returns to her former high school as the guidance counselor, she quickly realizes that insecurities form the past are hard to keep hidden. Brooke Burns, Earl Billings, Kristoffer Polaha and Jonathan Sadowski co-star.

Non-Scripted

OPRAH’S BIG GIVETen people will be challenged to take the money and resources they are given to help others and make a difference in their lives. The stakes will get higher each week, with one person ultimately being chosen to have his or her wildest dream come true. Editor's NOte: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Obi-Wan does the BARD

Ewan McGregor may earn millions making movies, but the actor has decided to perform Shakespeare on the London stage for minimum wage.The 36-year-old star, known for Hollywood roles such as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" films, will earn $790 a week -- standard minimum wage for actors in Britain -- playing Shakespeare's arch villain Iago in "Othello," Donmar Warehouse spokeswoman Kate Morley said Saturday.

McGregor was recruited for the role by Donmar Warehouse artistic director Michael Grandage, who worked with the actor on the musical "Guys and Dolls." The production marks Grandage's fifth anniversary as the acclaimed theater's artistic director.

It opens on December 4 with Golden Globe nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor starring as Othello and Kelly Reilly as Desdemona. Editor's Note: I love Ejiofor too. As several naughty dweebs have already opined - if only naked Harry Potter were still playing at the same time as evil Obi-Wan (Iago), this would SO be worth the trip to London, huh?!Oh, and THANKS (as ever) to dweebpal PlanoKevin for passing along this loverly tidbit.

Monday, May 14, 2007

So here's the NBC Line-Up for Fall (until it changes)

Editor's Note: And now, the annual TV NET foolishness BEGINS....NBC Changes Five Nights; Unveils Journeyman, Lipstick JungleNBC, the first network to officially unveil its 2007-08 prime-time lineup, will introduce five new series this fall. There are four dramas (Journeyman, Chuck, The Bionic Woman and Life) and a musical reality/competition called The Singing Bee, which will air Friday at 8 p.m. after the returning 1 vs. 100 ends its summer run.

Three established series -- 30 Rock, The Office and Friday Night Lights -- will move to new time periods; a second edition of Deal or No Deal will anchor Wednesday; and benched reality/competition The Biggest Loser will move to Tuesday at 8 p.m.

NBC, in addition, has one scripted sitcom, The IT Crowd, dramedy The Lipstick Jungle, and a reality/competition called World Moves slated for midseason.

The Peacock net, overall, will make changes on five nights of the week (excluding Saturday, which will remain occupied by Dateline and encore telecasts of its drama series, and Football ignited Sunday).

Once football season is over, NBC will kick off Sunday with Dateline, followed by the returning (and relocated) Law & Order, the returning (and relocated) Medium, and Lipstick Jungle.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which is not on NBC’s schedule, will move to cable network USA for 22 new episodes. Editor's Note: This is GREAT news. I swear, USA Net is the best Network.....cable or non.

Not returning are Crossing Jordan, The Black Donnellys, Raines, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, game show Identity, and non-scripted The Real Wedding Crashers and Grease: You’re the One That I Want.

The future of veteran The Apprentice remains uncertain at press time.

NBC has also ordered 30 new half-hours of The Office (including five hour-long episodes), while increasing the episode order for My Name is Earl to 25.

In addition, Jerry Seinfeld will return to NBC in 20 live-action comedy “minisodes,” which will give viewers a glimpse at his behind-the–scenes work on upcoming animated feature Bee Movie.

Heroes, meanwhile, will offer an online initiative called Heroes: Origins that will allow viewers to choose a new character. Editor's Note: This article makes it sound like this is a web-only deal. But here's what the article in the Houston Chronicle said:

Heroes: Origins is a head-scratcher. So far, all NBC is saying is that this Heroes spinoff will introduce characters that could join the mother show in the fall 2008 season, depending on viewers' votes. Six episodes have been ordered, as well as 24 new episodes of Heroes. An air date hasn't been determined for the six Origins episodes.

So that sounds more like an on-AIR show, yes? TBD....

Here is NBC’s fall 2007 schedule, followed by the new program descriptions:

JOURNEYMAN A man who has it all -- a loving wife, son and a lucrative career -- takes a complete turn and suddenly finds himself traveling into the past to impact people’s lives, good or bad. While taking this journey, he reconnects with an ex-fiancé, who perished in a mysterious plane crash but can now potentially survive with the knowledge he has. Moon Bloodgood, Reed Diamond, Gretchen Egol, Brian Howe, Kevin McKidd and Charlie Wyson star.

CHUCK Zachery Levi (Less Than Perfect) plays Chuck, a nerdy computer tech with a database of government secrets downloaded into his brain who inadvertently becomes the government’s most powerful weapon. The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz and director McG are the creators of Chuck.

THE BIONIC WOMAN In this remake of the original 1976-78 ABC/NBC sci-fi adventure, British actress Michelle Ryan has been cast a Jaime Sommers, a woman who finds a new lease on life when her body parts are replaced with extraordinary artificial parts after a horrific accident. Mel Ferrer (Crossing Jordan) plays the head of the government agency that rebuilt her; Chris Bowers (Rescue Me) is her boyfriend.

LIFE After an ex-cop (Damian Lewis) who rejoins the force after being wrongfully imprisoned finds challenges and obstacles in a world that has moved on without him.

Comedies

THE IT CROWD (midseason) Based on the hit British series, two Information Technology geeks (Joel McHale, Richard Ayoade) seek the help of their “cool” new office manager (Jessica St. Clair) to help them get the recognition they are so desperately looking for.

Non-Scripted

THE SINGING BEE This eight week reality/competition will challenge the contestants to accurately sing along to the lyrics of popular songs – even when the band stops playing. Editor's Note: Now if the songs were SHOW tunes.....

WORLD MOVES (midseason) This new talent competition from American Idol host Randy Jackson will feature dance teams from around the world looking to win an international touring contract.